“Watching the World Change” continues to remember September 11

Weeks ago, I finished The Looming Tower, the acclaimed book by Lawrence Wright about the modern history of people and events leading to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. It is an expert account of the escalating fanaticism of the religious zealots that perpetrated the mass murders and destruction on that now-hallowed day. Over the weekend, I finally also brought myself to watch United 93, the chilling movie that distills September 11 into an unflinching and harrowing perspective: the view of the heroes aboard that flight who battled the terrorists on board and crashed their own aircraft into the Pennsylvania countryside rather than allowing it to be used to attack Washington, D.C. It is a captivating film, though almost unbearable as a reminder of the agony and tragedy of that day. These recent journeys back to September 11 remind me how deep within myself those events still resonate. I am not alone, and neither are you, in our uniquely individual emotional and psychological snapshots of September 11. That is the essential message of the Web site Watching the World Change: The Stories Behind the Images of 9/11.

An outcome of Watching the World Change, the book of the same name, this companion Web site was created by author David Friend as a way to accommodate the outpouring of reactions to a book focused on the powerful imagery and lasting impressions of September 11.

I’m finding that no matter where I go, the same thing happens whenever I mention the book, even in passing. Friends, colleagues, complete strangers—everyone stops what they’re doing and feels compelled to tell me their September 11 story. They can go on for about 20 minutes, without a break, reliving those moments again. And without exception, each tale is insightful and heart-wrenching in its own way.

Friend’s site is a detailed and in-depth study in how our global community continues to react to September 11. It is also a good example of how a single book can inspire and motivate its readers, fostering a Web site that has become a community of its own.